Agyness Deyn Lied About Her Age To Become A Model

The Gaurdian has a revealing profile of UK supermodel Agyness Deyn, who discusses her fashion industry ascent and eventual transition from the catwalk to the stage. Along the way, Deyn admits she’s actually 29, not 23 as often reported:

“No, when I decided I would really do modelling I was like 18, and I think at the time that was quite old for a new face, so we knocked off a few years. But it was my birthday last week, and Henry [Holland, her designer friend] was saying how old would you have been? Cos it got really complicated – when personal and work collide – and Henry was like: ‘But it looks like I started being friends with you when you were four or something!'”

This doesn’t come as a shock–people have been speculating that Deyn’s older than she says for a while–but it’s interesting to think that she may never have become a ubiquitous supermodel had she told the truth about her age. The fashion industry could very well have missed out on a great face (that even struck Steven Meisel‘s fancy) because of its comically draconian standards.